The store will provide JD.com’s 226.6m customers with access to the first imported kiwifruit of the 2017 New Zealand season, which recently got underway. Shoppers living in China’s tier-1 and 2 cities will receive their fruit on the same day their order is placed, or at the very latest the following day.

The store’s launch comes amidst skyrocketing demand for kiwifruit and imported fruit more generally in China.

In 2016, kiwifruit accounted for approximately 15 per cent of all fruit sold by JD.com, a huge proportion given China's booming online sales of more traditionally popular fruits such as bananas, apples and pineapples.

Meanwhile, China is one of the fastest growing markets for Zespri globally, with exports to the People's Republic increasing 30 per cent last year.

JD.com’s partnership with Zespri will be supported by FruitDay. JD.com became a strategic investor in FruitDay in 2015, with the pair working together to develop innovative e-commerce sales strategies targeting the Chinese market for global fruit producers.

“Consumers appreciate both the high quality that brands like Zespri offer, and the ability to deliver fresh produce right to their doors at amazing speeds, which result in the amazing growth of fresh produce category,” JD.com said in a statement. “The partnership is a big step for helping Zespri tap into the Chinese consumer market.”